The sum of its partsThe sum of its parts

Sarah E. Lockyer

In 10 years, private-equity firm Roark Capital Group has put together a restaurant conglomerate of nine brands with more than 2,400 U.S. locations and $1.78 billion in domestic systemwide sales. 


And that tally doesn’t include Roark Capital’s pending deal for a majority position in Arby’s, a chain of 3,523 U.S. units and $2.76 billion in domestic systemwide sales, which Roark agreed to purchase last month for $430 million. Nor does it take into account international operations, which for Roark includes franchises of Seattle’s Best Coffee, among other outposts of its chains.


It’s a restaurant investment portfolio that rivals those of Sun Capital Partners, which holds 10 brands, and Bain Capital, which has invested in the l...